Supervision
Supervisor Relationships
Doing a doctorate involves writing a form of book, of course. But it can very usefully involve writing another sort of book too - or at least composing one. But this book isn't about your research, so much as your process of doing it. And it only needs a readership of one! Let me explain... Supervisor relations are a seriously important part of successfully completing a PhD. Poor relations are one of the major causes of prolonged registration, non-completion, or just lack of enjoyment of the process. And yet they can frequently go pear-shaped. Generally, this is for three reasons, which lead to one book: The relationship is a complex one. It lasts a number of years, but is based on little or no prior contact in an equivalent environment (even if they did supervise your Masters dissertation). And it must evolve from you being an advanced student to being an independent researcher... read more
First Supervision Tips
So I had my first supervision meeting a few months ago now. Prior to the meeting, I was unsure about what to prepare in advance of my meeting and even though I had a look at a variety of books about "How to get a PhD" none of them seemed to answer my question, so I thought I'd give you all a few top tips: Be prepared to answer the question -"What do you want to find out/know at the end of your PhD?" Think about how much "impact"your research will have. Make sure you have a idea of the research questions that you have identified (even though they may be very vague!). Don't be scared, your supervisors have faith in you and your abilties so be confident about your intended research project during your meeting. Discuss the Research Training Programme and identify which skills you want to learn/brush up on - better to do this early in the PhD than later. Listen and make notes! Y... read more
The Role of the Supervisor
There are many benefits to having a supervisor and during the course of your postgraduate degree you will find yourself becoming increasingly independent and able to think critically and analytically without their input. However, particularly during the initial stages of your degree your supervisor has a key role to play in guiding your development as a postgraduate. Many students have not experienced a supervisor-student relationship on a one-on-one basis before starting a postgraduate course and therefore may require some guidance on what they should expect from this relationship. This article covers some of those expectations. The golden rule to remember so that you have realistic expectations is that your supervisor is not there to tell you what to do. They are there to guide your own work and help to shape ideas, not serve them up to you on a plate with no work on your par... read more
What If Things Go Wrong?
Failures in communication normally lead to a breakdown in the student-supervisor relationship. If this happens then you must not try and ignore or hide from the problem. You have to talk about it with your supervisor and if, likewise, the supervisor is unhappy with you they may also raise the issue. As with any difficult situation the first step is to try and identify the problem before raising the issue. Approaching your supervisor without identifying a specific issue will most likely lead to an unproductive discussion with no resolutions. Possible specific problems may include: They are not providing enough advice. You can never get hold of them when you try. They provide academic input but no encouragement. If you can identify a specific difficulty that you think can be addressed then go and speak to your supervisor about it. Try and suggest ways that both you and they ... read more
The PhD journey: how to choose a good supervisor
by Matthew Killeya featured on New Scientist. Advice and personal stories from both professors and students. read more
You and Your Supervisor
by Stephen Marshell and Nick Green, sourced from Find a PhD. Guide to the supervisor relationship including discussion of the topics: - What you can reasonably expect of your supervisor - How to address your supervisor - What your supervisor can reasonably expect of you read more
Mastering Your Ph.D.: Better Communication With Your Supervisor
by Patricia Gosling and Bart Noordam from Science Careers [http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org]. Covering topics including: - Communication styles - Structured communication (Awaiting resource permission). read more
The Relationship between PhD supervisor and student
by Catherine Armstrong. This article will explore how to get the most out of the exchange between supervisor and student and achieve the goal of a successful postgraduate degree and perhaps an academic career afterwards. read more
What You Can Expect From Your 1st Supervisor
from Swansea University. Your first supervisor has a variety of roles. In broad terms they are your academic advisor, tutor and champion. This article explores what you can expect from your PhD supervisor. read more
Managing your Dissertation Supervisor
from Dissertation Success. You are more reliant on other people that you might imagine. You will need the time and guidance of your supervisor, and frequently you will require people to supply information. Understanding other peoples' needs is crucial to getting the best out of them - and your supervisor will need managing if you are to get what you need from them. In managing your supervisor in this way, you are in essence managing the process of your dissertation. read more
The PhD-Doctor: What (Not) to Expect From Your Supervisor
From Science Careers [http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org]. This is the third part of a series for PhD students with hands-on advice on how to handle the hurdles and challenges of your PhD project, written by Herman Lelieveldt. The PhD-Doctor is based on excerpts from his book Promoveren--Een wegwijzer voor de beginnend wetenschapper. (Awaiting resource permission) read more
How to manage your supervisor
from Tales of my PhD. 16 tips and hints on how to manage your supervisor, covering ideas around responsibility, expectations and meetings. read more
Living Happily Ever After (aka how to maintain a good student/supervisor relationship)
by Dr Sarah-Louise Quinnell, sourced from Thesis Whisperer. This post considers ideas on maintaining a successful student / supervisor relationship. read more
Elephants never forget, but sadly supervisors are not elephants: How to deal with forget supervisors
by Dr Sarah-Louise Quinnell, sourced from Thesis Whisperer. "We’ve all been there; walked into our supervisor’s office and they look at you perplexed, or enter into some kind of weird conversation and then look blank when you sit down because they have completely forgotten your meeting." This post looks at dealing with this! read more
The (research) supervisor’s friend
This blog is written for those who supervise research students. This blog is intended to share some of the experiences the author have had as a research supervisor to encourage other supervisors to share their practice. read more
How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors
by Estelle Phillips. This book covers all aspects PhD life including a section on how to manage your supervisor. read more
Working with your Supervisor
by Sage. This chapter covers: • The role of supervision. • Selecting supervisors. • Jointly supervised projects. • Making contact with your supervisor. • Supervisor responsibilities. • Student responsibilities. • Managing the relationship. • Keeping in touch with your supervisor. read more
Managing your research supervisor or principal investigator
from Epigeum. In this video a researcher discusses what he expected from his supervisors, how much this was met, gives advice on how to make meetings work and discusses problems he has faced and how he overcame these. read more
Resources
Supervisor Relationships- First Supervision Tips
- The Role of the Supervisor
- What If Things Go Wrong?
- The PhD journey: how to choose a good supervisor
- You and Your Supervisor
- Mastering Your Ph.D.: Better Communication With Your Supervisor
- The Relationship between PhD supervisor and student
- What You Can Expect From Your 1st Supervisor
- Managing your Dissertation Supervisor
- The PhD-Doctor: What (Not) to Expect From Your Supervisor
How to manage your supervisor
Living Happily Ever After (aka how to maintain a good student/supervisor relationship)- Elephants never forget, but sadly supervisors are not elephants: How to deal with forget supervisors
- The (research) supervisor’s friend
- How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors
Working with your Supervisor
Managing your research supervisor or principal investigator
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Grad School
Supervisor Part 5
January 19th, 2011 11:51
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